Paint roller guide



Nov. 5, 1963 o. T. STANLEY PAINT ROLLER GUIDE Filed Sept. 2, 1960 F k D m S T m 0 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent 3,109,755 PAINT ROLLER GUIDE Ove T. Stanley, 225 NW. Couch St., Portland, Greg. Filed Sept. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 53,762 1 Claim. (Cl. 118-258) This invention relates to paint rollers, and more particularly to an adjustable support by which a paint roller may be held at any desired vertical elevation and guided for painting a stripe parallel to a base surface.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a portable, mobile paint roller guide which is capable of manipulation with speed and facility by a painter for the purpose of painting stripes, such as Wainscoatings on walls.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a paint roller guide which accommodates rapid mounting and removal of a paint roller, for replenishing the paint supply on the roller.

A further important object of this invention is the provision of a paint roller guide which accommodates adjustment of the roller over an extensive range.

A still further important object of the present invention is to provide a paint roller guide which is of simplified construction for economical manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a foreshortened view in side elevation of a paint roller guide embodying the features of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the paint roller guide shown in FIG. 1.

The paint roller guide of this invention includes an elongated rod 10, preferably of light weight tubular construction, supported at one end upon a mobile base. In the embodiment illustrated, the base includes a flat plate 12 to which is secured an upstanding hollow socket 14 dimensioned to receive removably therein the lower end of rods of various lengths.

An annular groove 16 in the rod receives the set screw 18 mounted in a threaded opening in the socket, to secure the rod either rotatably or rigidly to the socket.

A plurality of rollers 20 are attached pivotally to the plate 12 and project downwardly therefrom, to provide mobile support for the plate. In the embodiment illustrated, the plate is of substantially T shape and a caster Wheel is secured to the plate adjacent the extremity of each arm of the T.

A guide handle 22 is provided at its shank end with a hollow sleeve 24 adapted to slidably encircle the rod 10, and a set screw 26 is mounted in a threaded opening in the sleeve for securing the latter to the rod at desired positions along the length of the latter.

A second sleeve 28 also is provided for slidably encircling the rod, and this sleeve also carries a set screw 30 by which to secure the sleeve in desired positions of adjustment along the length of the rod. This second sleeve serves as an abutment for a third sleeve 32 which slidably encircles the rod and functions as a support for a paint roller. In the embodiment illustrated, the intermediate bent section 34 of the paint roller stem is secured to the third sleeve in such a manner that the rotary axis of the paint roller 36 is disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod 10. The outer end section of the stem projects substantially normal to the intermediate section 34 and supports a handle 38 by which to manipulate the paint roller.

In the embodiment illustrated, the intermediate stem section 34 is secured to the sleeve by means of welding.

It will be understood that the sleeve may be provided with a clamp by which to removably secure the stern thereto, thus permitting substitution of various conventional paint rollers without the need of additional sleeves.

The paint roller employed with the guide of this invention may be of the type in which the roller element 36 serves as a reservoir for a quantity of paint which is dispensed automatically to the outer surface. Alternatively, the paint roller may be of the less expensive type in which paint is applied to the roll from a paint tray. In either case, the paint roller assembly is easily removed from the guide, simple by sliding the sleeve 32 outwardly off the outer end of the rod 10.

Although the position of the paint roller along the length of the rod is set by the adjustable sleeve 28, it may be desirable in some instances to secure the paint roller against rotation about the rod 10. In such instances, a set screw 40 carried by the third sleeve may be tightened against the rod, and the latter secured against rotation by tightening the set screw 18 into the groove 16.

The second sleeve 28 may be omitted, if desired, by loosening the set screw 18 to permit rotation of the rod 10, and utilizing the set screw 40 to secure the paint roller in desired positions of adjustment.

The components of the paint roller guide of this invention preferably are so proportioned as to permit adjusting the paint roller along the entire length of the rod, to a lowermost position at which the lower end of the paint roller is located immediately adjacent the floor or other surface against which the caster wheels are in contact. To achieve this lowermost position, the paint roller and supporting sleeve 32 are rotated on the rod 10 to the position at which the paint roller may pass downwardly adjacent the edges of the plate 12 defining adjacent arms of the T. This arrangement accommodates use of the support in painting strips which are located immediately adjacent the floor.

In use, the guide handle 22 is secured to the rod 10 in desired position for convenient manipulation of the guide, and the second sleeve 28 is secured to the rod in the position which will properly locate the outer edge of a stripe to be painted, as determined by the position of the outer end of the paint roller 36. Paint is then applied to the roller and the latter installed on the rod, with the supporting sleeve 32 in abutment with the sleeve 28. The painter then grasps the two handles 22 and 38 and manipulates the guide parallel to the surface on which paint is to be deposited by contact of the roller.

Although the paint roller guide of this invention is utilized with particular advantage in the painting of wainscoatings which are applied to walls and in which the upper edge extends parallel to the floor, it will be apparent that the support may also be utilized in painting vertical stripes by arranging the rod 10 in horizontal position with the caster wheels 20 in contact with an adjacent wall surface.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the structural details described hereinbefore, without departing from the spirit of this invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having now described my invention and the manner in which it may be used, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A paint roller support for painting stripes on a surface disposed at right angles to a base surface, wherein the stripes are to extend parallel to the base surface, the support comprising, in combination with a paint roller having a supporting stem and a handle projecting therefrom radially outward from the roller, an elongated rod,

a roller means on one end of the rod and having an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the rod for rolling engagement on a base surface, an abutment sleeve mounted slidably on the rod for adjustment along the rod, securing means on the abutment sleeve for engaging the rod to secure the abutment sleeve on the rod at a fixed position of adjustment relative to the roller means, a paint roller mounting sleeve, means securing the paint roller stem and the mounting sleeve together in fixed axial position with the axes of the paint roller and mounting sleeve substantially parallel, the mounting sleeve slidably engaging the rod for abutment against the side of the abutment sleeve opposite the roller means, whereby to position the paint roller a predetermined distance from the roller means, a guide handle support sleeve mounted slidably on the rod between the abutment sleeve and roller means and having a guide handle projecting radially therefrom, and securing means on the support sleeve for engaging the rod to secure the support sleeve on the rod at a fixed position of adjustment relative to the paint roller handle for cooperative use of the paint roller handle and guide handle in manipulating the paint roller support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 625,969 Farber May 30, 1899 1,212,360 Kenstowicz Jan. 16, 1917 2,603,873 Shaw July 22, 1952 2,660,791 Howell et al. Dec. 1, 1953 2,900,952 Perry Aug. 25, 1959 

